Location: Nature Reserve: Lake Liepāja, Liepāja
Suggested starting point: Horse Island parking lot
Distance: 2 km (one way)
Lake Liepāja Horse Island trail is a nice walking trail, with several pathways at the start, including a wide, good-quality wooden boardwalk along the coast with few viewing platforms. There are few outdoor gym devices and resting areas with picnic tables and fireplace sites along the boardwalk. At the end of the boardwalk, the path continues along a narrow dam, with a watching tower for bird watching and enjoying the nice views over the lake landscape.
Lake Liepāja is a lagoon created by the receding Baltic Sea. The lake and surrounding meadows are included in the nature reserve “Liepājas Ezers” and is a “Natura 2000” protected area of European significance because of nesting and migratory birds that can be found there. Included in the list of protected bird species are 27 nesting bird species, 10 winter bird species and 50 bird species that feed here during migration.
Lake Liepāja is also a popular fishing and recreation spot. The Trade Canal links it to the sea with boat and paddleboat rentals available. There are two birdwatching towers by the lake – one is at the end of Lauku Street and the other is on the dam created on Zirgu Island.
The birdwatching tower on Zirgu Island can be reached by a kilometre-long gravel footpath. The dam on which the birdwatching tower is built reaches almost to the middle of the lake. Zirgu Island Nature Trail has some boardwalk paths, two viewing platforms on the lake, picnic spots as well as outdoor gym equipment. A spacious parking lot is located tht he beginning of the Zirgu Island Nature Trail.